A Full-time Job

There are those of us who NEED the 12 Steps, Traditions, fellowships, etc. Then there are those of us who can get by without. I am in the first party. LOL

No doubt here. It feels good to know. Liberating. Freedom at last. That space Victor Frankl talked about. It really is an inside job. No one else can do it for me. No matter how rich, cute, smart, strong, powerful, important, glorious, etc. Nor how much they love me, want me, etc. It is an inside job.

And it is a "job" for me. Full time. 24-7. For the rest of my life. Until I die on this earth-plane. So it is for me. That is my truth.

How hard is it? Depends on how hard I make it.

How do I make it hard? By depending on my best thinking, on me, me, me.

How do I make it easier? By following a few simple guidelines called the 12 Steps.

Day by Day, "People have to work to earn a living---we have to work our program to live. A job is a form of support, and our fellowship is also a form of support."

Hope for Today, "No matter how different we feel, we're all very similar. No matter how similar we seem, we're all very different....Making myself available to help and be helped by a wide range of people is key to my recovery."

Courage to Change, "When I stopped trying to analyze and explain everything and started living the principles, actually using them in my everyday situations, the...program suddenly made sense---and I started to change. Does analyzing my situation provide any useful insights, or is it an attempt to control the uncontrollable? Am I taking inventory or avoiding work that needs to be done by keeping my mind occupied? I have heard that knowledge is power. But sometimes thirst for knowledge can be an attempt to exercise power where I am powerless. Instead, I can take the First Step. A quote by Soren Kierkegaard, "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Discovering Choices, pgs. 133-5, "...begin to have a better sense of what is healthy. We learn to separate principles from personalities. Instead of reacting in a negative way to a personality, we come to understand how to apply a principle that can help make a relationship more positive....communication...was often a roadblock or a one-way street. People talked without anyone listening, or no one talked at all. Not much understanding passed between anyone...learned to listen attentively and to speak honestly and openly...learned how to detach from the drama...found a way to let go of things that they can't control...learned to make gratitude a part of their lives...learned to live happy, healthy lives...become willing to believe that our relationships can heal...members in service are putting in practice what they learned...become living examples to newer members, inspiring them to learn, just as we are now learning. But we only need focus on what we can do to improve our lives today...Whatever we choose to do, we can be confident that there is good reason to hope. That's the lesson we can learn from the positive example of so many others..."

Dear Lord Creator of All, thank YOU for the abundance of YOUR Love and may YOUR Truth, Compassion, Mercy and Grace light our pathway to YOU. Thank YOU for the multiple opportunities YOU bestow on us all to connect and stay connected to the lifeline of YOUR Love. YOU are The Source, The Essence, The Glory of us all. Lord, please grant the knowledge of Your Will and the courage, strength and willingness to accept and to do it. As YOU Will. Love, Carol xoxox